The first one is an easy-to-use USB-C hub from Satechi. See the figure on the left, which is self-explanatory.
There exist also other companies producing such hubs, e.g. RREAKA or GIISMO.
The following instructions are intended for users who are using the XinematiX App for the first time. It provides an introduction how to use the App.
XinematiX is designed for actual iPads. On older models it may not work correctly.
If in doubt just test it, as the XinematiX Start App with the first 4 sounds can be downloaded for free.
A supplementary version for iPhone is in preparation. This will have the same functions as the iPad version,
only the interface will be slightly different.
Maybe you know already how to connect your MIDI device e.g. your keyboard with your iPad or iPhone for sending MIDI data to
the XinematiX App and how to output the audio signals to your headphones or to your speakers.
If not, you will find in the following some useful tips.
Older iPad models and iPhones had two separate sockets, one of them for receiving MIDI data, the other for the output of audio signals.
The latter was a 3.5 mm socket for accommodating an appropriate plug. The socket for receiving MIDI data
had different forms and sizes. In this way one has or had to connect two different cables with matching plugs between keyboard and
iPad/ iPhone repectively between iPad/ iPhone and headphone or speakers.
At the actual iPad and iPhones Apple has deleted a separate audio output socket. There exists only one single USB C socket, being
responsible for recieving either MIDI data or(!) sending audio signals. It seems that nobody of the responsible Apple developers considered
that it should be possible to support both a the same time: data input and audio output.
Fortunately, there exist tools to overcome this problem. See the following three typical examples.
The first one is an easy-to-use USB-C hub from Satechi. See the figure on the left, which is self-explanatory.
There exist also other companies producing such hubs, e.g. RREAKA or GIISMO.
Alternately it is possible to send MIDI Data from your iPad or iPhone via Bluetooth. This Yamaha Bluetooth Hub
requires an additional power adapter.
The picture at the left shows how to connect the different elements.
The disadvantage of this tool is that you have to renew the Bluetooth connection every time you restart it.
Another Bluetooth adapter is the CME WIDI Master. It is designed for the connection with a 5pol DIN socket. This tool requires no
additional power adapter.
The main element sends MIDI Data via Bluetooth. The side element is not necessary for a Bluetooth transmission, it is designed for
an alternate direct connection with another 5pol DIN socket.
For a Bluetooth connection, please set Bluetooth to 'On' in the iPad or iPhone settings as well as in the XinematiX settings.
After you downloaded
XinematiX from the App Store, the app will open its main user interface.
The start app presents in default three different free sounds. A fourth is stored in reserve.
Please note: All sounds support all ('Omni') MIDI Channels. It is not possible to assign a specific MIDI channel
to any sound.
If you tap on the question mark symbol in the top right-hand corner, an initial overview of the XinematiX functions is displayed.
To delete the notes displayed on their yellow backgrounds, tap the question mark symbol again.
To learn more about XinematiX,
please read the following sections.
You can control the sounds of XinematiX by two different modes:
The 'Layer' mode and the 'Crossfade' mode.
The difference between both modes is that you can either mix all three sounds present in the current
combination (also called a 'Multi') or crossfade between only two sounds.
To the right above the centre of the main screen you will find either three continuous lines, which means
that the system is in 'Layer' mode or a single broken line, which means that the system is in 'Crossfade' mode.
Tap this line symbol to switch to the other mode. See the illustration on the left.
See the following section for more details.
First of all, familiarise yourself with the circular slider in the multi-coloured arc at the top.
The slider can be moved from left to right and vice versa for changing the sound selection.
You can move this slider with your fingers on the screen. However, it is easier to do this with
the modwheel of your keyboard as in default the modwheel is designed for controlling this circular slider.
If any you would like to control the slider by a different tool then please read below at
Assign alternative MIDI controllers.
In the layer mode the circular slider on position 1 will play only the red sound.
The slider positions 2 and 3 add slidingly the green sound, followed by the blue sound at the
positions 4 and 5, so that in the end all three sounds will sound together.
The crossfade mode controls a little differently.
Position 1 again plays only the red sound, position 2 plays a mix of the red and the green sound, position 3
presents only the green sound.
Position 4 plays a mix of the green and the blue sound and position 5 presents only the blue sound.
Performing a mix with only the left positioned red sound in combination with the right positioned
blue sound takes a little preperation.
Tap on the green sound (1) so that the directory
of instrumental groups opens. In this directory tap on any group, e.g. 'Orchestra' (2),
this opens a list of its specific instruments. Now tap on 'no sound' (3) and confirm with 'Done' (4).
From now on the playback will only transition from the red to the blue sound and vice versa.
A XinematiX 'Multi' is a combination of sounds, saved by a typical name. Depending on the amount of sounds
which you downloaded with inApps you can create new Multis. Proceed as follows:
Tap on the left red actual instrument name (1). A pop up window opens, showing the actual sound directory.
If you want to access another sound directory, tap the name KARO at the top (2). In the instrument group directory
that now opens, tap on the name of the desired instrument group (3).
In the sound directory that now opens, tap on the name of the desired instrument (4) and then on 'Done' (5).
The pop up window closes.
Edit the green and blue instrument in the same way.
Now tap on the previous Multi name in the centre at the bottom (6). It may be that there is no name listed
at the moment. However, that does not matter. A new pop up window opens, showing the names of the actual
saved Multis. Tap on 'Save...' (7). A new pop up window opens. Type into the white field the new
Multi name (8). Tap 'Done' to finish (9).
Replacing sounds in an existing Multi is done in the same way as described above. You only maintain the previous Multi name at the end of editing.
This is discribed below. See: Calling up existing Multis.
For quick tests or while working actually with no real MIDI keyboard or other MIDI devices you can use the XinematiX on-screen virtual keyboard. It provides in principle the full range of 88 keys of a regular piano. For better handling, however, it only shows a section of 3 octaves. Simply tap on its keys to trigger notes on the currently selected sounds.
The keys on the keyboard will also lit up when notes are triggered by MIDI on the currently selected sound. So you may also use the on-screen keyboard as visual indication to control whether your external MIDI keyboard/ MIDI device is configured correctly for triggering notes on the currently selected sound.
If you want to enlarge the keys for easier operation, tap the blue arrow pointing upwards.
Tapping on the blue arrow pointing downwards will reduce the keys to their original size.
The on-screen keyboard shows in default 3 octaves, the octaves 3, 4 and 5. If
you want to play in a lower area, change the octave position by tapping the blue arrow on the left.
Conversely, a tap on the blue arrow on the right leads to higher octaves.
Each tap leads to one octave lower or higher.
All sounds are edited very carefully, nevertheless you may want to modify one or the other according to your personal taste. For this purpose some rotary controllers are available whose function are described in the following.
To modify the red sound, first tap in the red area of the multicolored arc.
This will display the rotary controllers in color red as illustrated here.
Tapping in the green area will call green colored rotary controllers
for modifying the green sound, tapping in the blue area will call
blue colored rotary controls for modifying the blue sound.
The rotary controllers have the following functions:
Offset: Controls the start point of a sound.
Attack: Controls the start phase of a sound. A small value keeps it distinct,
a high value makes it start smoother.
Release: Controls the fading out of a tone.
A small value keeps it short, a high value lets it fade out longer.
Level: Controls the volume of a sound.
Panning: Shifts the audible sound position to the right or left.
Reverb: Makes the reverb sound shorter or longer.
In addition, different room types can be selected for the reverb. See the following figure.
To select a new reverb type, first tap on the currently shown reverb name.
A directory of room types opens.
Tapping on one of these types opens a list of the associated rooms.
Select the desired room and confirm with 'Done'.
A tap on the 'Shift' button calls up more controllers.
Their functions are from left to right:
Off/db: Controls a low pass filter.
Cutoff: Determines where the signal is cut off.
Resonance: Boosts the frequencies of the cutoff frequencies.
Transpose: Retunes the selected sound in semitone steps.
We don't recommend this for a single red, green or blue sound, as a transpose function
should transpose all sounds equally. Use for this aim the white controller instead,
see what is described below by 'Modifying the sounds uniformly'.
Pitch: With the help of this control you can detune the sound. During the change of the pitch
a number below the controler shows the detune factor in white as Cent value.
(A tempered semitone comprises 100 Cent). Please handle this function carefully
as all XinematiX sounds already dynamically move the pitch up and down by about +/-2 cents.
A higher retuning value can cause negative effects.
FX: Effects.
A tap on the WHITE text right of the controller circles turns them to color white.
This means that all controllers now access all called sounds (the red, the green and the blue one).
But caution! The white values are added to the previously edited individual values.
For the transpose function, the white controller is ideal. While editing Transpose, the retuning steps
are displayed as semitone values.
Quit the white controllers by again tapping on 'WHITE'.
If you want to assign other external controllers to certain elements, namely the slider
of the multi-colored arc or the six circular controllers, proceed as follows:
(1)Tap the desired item for several seconds.
(2) A pop-up window opens, showing the currently used controller.
Tap its name.
(3) A list with suggestions for a new controller opens. If the desired one is there,
select it by tapping on its name and then on 'Done'.
(4) If the desired item is not included in the list, tap 'forget' and then (5) 'start listening'.
(6) Now the listening starts. The first controller you move on your MIDI device will be taken over
as the new responsible controller.
Back to: Using 'Layer' mode or 'Crossfade' mode
On the right above the virtual keys is a horizontal blue bar.
With this you can set the velocity response.
In the left short position, the volume changes only slightly in relation to the velocity.
In the middle position, the volume increases normally and
in the right long position, the volume changes very much to the velocity.
Tapping on the circle in the middle of user interface (image 1) opens an important and interesting tool.
Firstly you will find (image 2) a tool in the upper half of the circle that you are surely familiar with:
Modifying the general pitch by 'Mastertune'. The actual standard is a'= 440 Hz.
However, as it may happen that you have to play together with a higher or lower tuned instrument, you
have the possibility to adapt here. Moving the slider clockwise increases the general pitch, moving it
counterclockwise deepens it. The result obtained will be displayed as the frequency for the a'.
The tool in the lower half of the circle is much more interesting.
You should know that the prevailing tuning on classical keyboard instruments is not an ideal,
but a compromise in order to be able to make music in all keys.
Unfortunately, in these so-called equal- or near-equal-temperaments, the thirds are badly out of tune.
Therefore especially all major triads sound sharp and restless.
Against this, well educated musicians in ensembles with string and/or wind instruments as well as singers
in chamber choirs are trained to shadow the pitch of the performed tones upwards or downwards according their function
in the current harmonic environment. In this way they perform purely tuned thirds and fifths. In musicology this is
called 'just intonation'.
Hermode Tuning imitates this dynamic just intonation. In this way it produces a rich original sound in
all multivoiced music of string and wind instruments and of choirs.
Also music of pianos and pipe organs sounds clearer and more voluminous.
The images 3 and 4 show the different setting options of Hermode Tuning. Image 3 shows how to set the
tuning of fifhts ad thirds to just intonation. You can select the maximum of 100% and alternately reduced values
of 80, 60, 40 and 20% or 0%. The last value is the traditional equal temperament.
Image 4 shows how to control additionally to so-called 'natural sevenths', this means the sevenths
of dominant seventh chords (e.g. the F in G-B(H)-D-F). Played on their own, these chords sound very strong.
But since the natural seventh is tuned very low, it can lead to audible retuning in some musical situations,
for instance when playing legato A-C-F to G-B(H)-D-F.
The following settings of Hermode Tuning are recommended:
Orchestral sounds and those of harps, choirs, organs and pianos to '3rd + 5th = 80-100%'.
Pianos without other instruments alternately to 'natural sevenths'.
Synthesizer sounds to '3rd + 5th = 0%', according to equal temperament.
Mixes of orchestral, harps, piano and choirs in common with synthesizer sounds to '3rd + 5th' by a value between 40% and 80%.
In such a case test the best setting.
As soon as a Hermode Tuning mode is selected, the resulting pitch for each note is displayed as a bar
above the respective key of the on-scree keyboard. Sounding notes are represented by blue bars, silent notes by red bars.
Save modified Multis as follows:
Tap on the actual Multi name (1). A pop-up window opens in which all available Combis are listed. Tap on 'Save' (2).
The pop up window changes its look.
If you want to keep the previous name, tap 'Save' (4) immediately, otherwise enter a new name (3) and then tap on 'Save' (4).
Now the old or the new edited Multi name will be displayed (5).
If you want to delete a Multi: Slide it over the left edge (6).
But please note: As soon as a Multi is placed in a Life Mode page (see section 'Life Mode' below),
you can remove it from the list as shown above, but it will still be included in the Life Mode page.
At the bottom left you will find a cube symbol representing a random geneator.
A tap on this cube will create a random Multi.
As the complete XinematiX library comprises approximately 1,000 sounds you could create
theoretically with this toy about 1,000,000,000 different Multis.
A nice toy, on the other hand a large part will not produce a convincing result.
Therefore it is much more productive to edit a Multi according to your personal taste.
The Life Mode is a tool that allows you to quickly switch between different Multis. This can be particularly advantageous in a musical performance.
A tap on this symbol opens the Life Mode pages.
The Life Mode comprises 8 pages, each with space for 16 Multi entries. So there is room for a total of 128 Multis.
This picture shows 2 pages of the Life Mode, on the left a blank page, on the right a completely filled in page.
In the latter, the sound 'mallets' is activated.
To add a Multi to the Life Mode, select it in the list of Multis so that its name is entered at the bottom centre.
Now press the Life Mode symbol for about two seconds, this will open a pop-up window.
In this window you will find the name of the selected Multii already entered in the first line.
Tapping on the second line opens a list contenting the 128 fields of the Life Mode.
The already occupied fields are shown in color, the unoccupied ones appear in grey.
In this example you select the actual unoccupied 112 field by tapping on it.
Tapping on the second line opens a color palette in which you tap on the desired color
of the new entry. In this case you select a purple red.
The selected color is not shown in this pop up window, but it will be adopted on the Life Mode page.
Confirm by tapping on 'Save'.
Now you will find your Multi entered in the Life Mode page.
Attention!
If you select an already occupied field in the Life Mode pages as storage location, the previous entry will be
overwritten without enquiry.
Tap on the provided field for about two seconds and then remove your finger. The Life Mode color palette opens. Select the desired color by tapping on it.
Close the Life Mode pages by tapping on the 'XinematiX' logo right on the top.
There exist three ways to do this, as described below.
Tap the name of the currently called Multi at the bottom centre.(1).
A list of all actual edited Multis is opens. Scroll up and down this list until you find the desired Multi (2).
Tap on the desired Multi for opening it (3). Close the list by tapping on "Done" (4).
Tap on the Life Mode page icon. The Life Mode pages opens. Select the relevant page using the letters A to H (1)
and then the desired Multi within this page (2).
You can call up a Multi as usual by a program change command from your keyboard or other MIDI device. The program number corresponds to that in the Life Mode list.
Back to: Edit a new Multi
To expand the sample library through inApp purchases, proceed as follows:
Tap on the tool symbol in the shape of a cogwheel (1). A pop-up window named 'settings' opens.
Tap on the entry 'Download Sample Libraries' (2). A new pop up window named 'Sample Store' opens.
Here you will find the sample libraries you have already purchased shown in green, and those you have not yet
purchased shown in black.
To buy a new library, tap on its name. This will take you to a section of the App Store where you can
purchase this library in the usual way.
The purchased library is then shown in green. In the example shown on the left, this is the library
'Airy Pads' (3).
Now tap on its name to download it.